The Troubled Trinity - Godoy and the Spanish Monarchs

Manuel Godoy, the Prince of the Peace and royal favourite during the reign of Carlos IV, was, in effect, the real ruler of Spain from 1792 to 1808. Godoy was no ordinary court favourite such as Spain had known in the past, and he deserves to be judged impartially, viewed against the background of his era. A young guardsman fresh from the provinces, he was elevated to First Minister at the age of 25 and showered with titled and wealth far surpassing those of the most aristocratic grandee of the land. Surprisingly, Godoy enjoyed the confidence of Carlos IV, as well as that of Queen Maria Luisa, his reputed paramour. His influence came at a crucial time, beginning with the Reign of Terror in France, anbd the post-revolutionary wars, continuing through the rise of Bonaparte and the latter's elevation to Emperor, and only ending with the Napoleonic invasion of Spain in 1808...